Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “base” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the base game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the base game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the base game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines.
In most gaming machines, the base games and bonus games, including progressive jackpots and other communal games, are linked together as a single integrated package. Thus, for a given gaming machine, the same base game always triggers the same bonus game or set of bonus games. Of course, game designers try to match base games and bonus games that compliment one another so that the combination provides an enhanced overall gaming experience. But while the above arrangement has mostly proven successful, it provides players, casino operators, and/or gaming machine manufacturers with few options. For example, consider the case where the base game is highly popular among players, but the associated bonus game is not (or vice versa). If players want to play the base game, they must tolerate the bonus game (and vice versa), which may dampen their enthusiasm for the base game. For casino operators, swapping out the less popular bonus game requires recertification of the entire package, as the two games are linked together. Indeed, in some regulatory jurisdictions, recertification is required even for changes to just the features of the base games and/or bonus games.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with more options for players, casino operators, and/or gaming machine manufacturers. More particularly, there is a need to develop gaming machines where the base games and/or bonus games, and/or the features thereof, may be selected as needed by players, casino operators, and/or gaming machine manufacturers.